4.

Dalou Mountains Tree Mouse

Typhlomys daloushanensis

French: Loirpygmée du Dalou Shan / German: Dalou Shan-Zwergbilch / Spanish: Raton arboricola de Dalou

Taxonomy. Typhlomys cinereus daloushanensis Wang Yingxiang & Li Chongyun, 1996,

“ Mt. Jingfu (107° 10' E, 29° 02’ N), Nanchuan co., soutern [sic] Sichuan, alt. 2000 m,” China .

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. C China (SE Gansu, S Shaanxi, E Sichuan, Chongqing, W Hubei, and N Guizhou).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 72-105 mm, tail 105-129 mm; weight 15-4-31 g. The Dalou Mountains Tree Mouse is the largest species of Typhlomys . Dorsum is charcoal gray; venter is slate gray, with white hairs interspersed throughout; ears are large and naked; eyes are small; whiskers are long; longtail is lightly furred near base but densely furred at tip (resembling a bottle brush); and hair at tip oftail is white in some individuals. Braincaseis flattened.

Habitat. Tropical montane forests at elevations above 200 m.

Food and Feeding. The Dalou Mountains Tree Mouse is probably granivorous and frugivorous.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Dalou Mountains Tree Mouse is probably nocturnal as are other forest-dwelling rodents.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Given its close evolutionary relationship with the Chapa Tree Mouse (7. chapensis) and similar morphologies (including exceptionally small eyes), it is possible that the Dalou Mountains Tree Mouse also uses ultrasonic echolocation for navigation.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The [UCN Red List.

Bibliography. Carleton & Musser (1984), Cheng Feng et al. (2017), Musser & Carleton (2005), Smith & Yan Xie (2008), Wang Yingxiang et al. (1996).